Patina Cigars Arriving in the U.S. This Month

A new brand coming out of Mombacho Cigars S.A.’s Casa Favilli factory will be arriving at U.S. retailers this month, as the company announced that the first two lines from Patina Cigars have left the factory.

Patina Cigars is the creation of Mo Maali, Mombacho’s recently appointed national sales manager. Maali was previously the manager of Casa de Puros, a retail store in Forest Park, Ill, and in 2014 he founded the blog Sultans of Smoke.

“Patina is an oxidation process that, over time, produces a green film over bronze or copper,” Maali said in a press release, referring to what people might be familiar with seeing on statues or buildings. “In the same spirit, our experiences in life shape our opinions, attitudes and beliefs. Just as those buildings underneath the patina
retain their original character, we too as human beings will always be ourselves at our core. No matter what happens in life, always be true to yourself,” he added.

The two new lines also marks the first time that tobacco grown outside of Nicaragua has been used at Casa Favilli, as Mombacho’s lines are all Nicaraguan puros.

The Patina Connecticut uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania, and like many other modern Connecticut cigars, promises to change the idea of what a mild cigar should be. It is being offered in four sizes:

Patina Connecticut Artifact (7 x 49) —

Patina Connecticut Bronze (6 x 52) —

Patina Connecticut Oxidation (6 x 56) —

Patina Connecticut Rustic (5 x 52) —

For a more full bodied offering, the Patina Habano uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from Nicaragua and Pennsylvania. It too comes in four sizes:

Patina Habano Bronze (6 X 52) —

Patina Habano Copper (6 X 46) —

Patina Habano Oxidation (6 X 56) —

Patina Habano Rustic (5 X 52) —

All of the cigars come packed in 16-count boxes, which mirror the number of steps on the staircase at Casa Favilli. Pricing is set between $8.95 to $12.95 for the Habano line and $9.95 to $12.95 for the Connecticut.

“Both cigars are tremendously different of what we are used to smoking and we are very excited about their release,” said Mombacho’s president and master blender, Claudio Sgroi, via a press release.

I strive to capture the essence of a cigar and the people behind them in my work – every cigar you light up is the culmination of the work of countless people and often represents generations of struggle and stories. For me, it’s about so much more than the cigar – it’s about the story behind it, the experience of enjoying the work of artisans and the way that a good cigar can bring people together. In addition to my work with halfwheel, I’m the public address announcer for the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks during spring training, as well as for the Salt River Rafters of the Arizona Fall League, the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury and the Arizona Rattlers of the Indoor Football League. I also work in a number of roles for MLB.com, plus I'm a voice over artist. I previously covered the Phoenix and national cigar scene for Examiner.com, and was an editor for Cigar Snob magazine.